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Mapping the malaria burden : Marcus V. G. Lacerda ∙ Quique Bassat / The Lancet

Article shared by John Gilmartin

Malaria. Half a million dead African kids a year.
John Gilmartin

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Summary
The article reviews the findings of a new high-resolution spatial-temporal mapping study of global malaria by Daniel J. Weiss et al., covering 2000–2022.

The study reveals that while malaria mortality has generally declined—especially in sub-Saharan Africa—case numbers have increased since 2015, reflecting both demographic growth and stagnating progress. The COVID-19 pandemic had a temporary but not catastrophic impact. 

The authors praise the study for its nuanced granularity and highlight the importance of incorporating neglected species like Plasmodium vivax, new surveillance methods, and data from initiatives like CHAMPS. They also caution that the model predates key recent developments—such as the rollout of malaria vaccines and emerging artemisinin resistance—emphasizing the need for adaptive and locally tailored malaria control strategies.

Quotes

"After 15 years of improvements... 2015 was a tipping point year... coupled with a paradoxical increase in malaria case numbers, despite the stagnation of malaria incidence."
"The emergence and potential spread of artemisinin resistance in sub-Saharan Africa... will also need to be closely monitored..."
"Contemporary malaria control... need to be tailored to the specificities of each location while considering at a wider scale malaria-specific preparedness and adaptation measures to the climate change emergency."

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